HR Communiqué

(News and Updates from The HR Architect)

BUILDING GREAT PEOPLE … FASTER

HRC NEWS

Not For Profit (NFP) Conference Melbourne – August 2013

Passionate people are the fabric of what makes the third sector work and that attracting, training and retaining extraordinary staff and volunteers is more important that ever for NFP organisations (Michael Cebon, General Manager and Founder Ethical Jobs).

The Melbourne Conference happened on 27 – 28 August 2013 with over 30 great speakers from across Australia and beyond, presenting to over 200 attendees. The conference presented the latest trends and forecasts to assist HR managers in making more informed and effective HR decisions. General topics covered:

Time Off For Charity Work Can Improve Retention

Employers who allow their employees additional annual leave to complete charity work during office hours are more likely to keep their workforce, according to a growing body of research.

A recent survey found some 50% of workers believe they would be more likely to stay with an employer that allows its workforce time to work or raise money for charities during working hours, and that one in ten employees say they would leave a less charitable company and take a “significant pay cut” to move somewhere which allowed them time off during work hours to do volunteer work. Read More

NEWS AND EVENTS

INDUSTRY UPDATES

The Queensland mining boom is far from over. That is the message from Deloitte Access Economics analysts who have predicted a bright future for the state’s economy, despite a major downturn in the resources sector in the past financial year. Discovery Metals Limited and PanAust Limited both lost more than half a billion dollars last year, while Maverick Drilling and Exploration were down nearly $330 million, Deloitte’s annual Queensland index revealed.

However, Ian Harper of Deloitte Access Economics said the Queensland economy was presently experiencing short-term pain as the resources industry shifted from an investment to export phase. “The export phase is just starting to pick up and that is slated to last for decades,” Professor Harper said. “The real economy is slowing but we are not talking about recession but the gear shift from phase one to phase two.” He said Queensland was expected to continue suffering short-term economic pain but recovery was predicted from late 2013. Read More

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’ brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!! and the HR Communique. Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

HR Communiqué

(News and Updates from The HR Architect)

BUILDING GREAT PEOPLE … FASTER

Top 3 Pressing HR and Talent Concerns

In a special Deloitte’s Resetting Horizons: Human Capital Trends 2013 report focusing on key trends driving business and human capital decisions, the top three talent and HR concerns facing them today have been revealed . It is interesting that findings between Australian and global executives were largely in agreement.

The report said “today’s global and Australian corporate leaders are focused on developing new leaders and planning for leadership succession. But given this finding, it is intriguing that Australian leaders did not rank Leadership as their number one current area of focus.” Read More

Your Fast Track to Success

Nearly every mid-size to large business in the world has some kind of performance management system – a process that, in theory, should help people set and achieve goals that ultimately drive performance. Yet only 14 % of businesses are actually happy with their current systems. (Source: 2013 Harvard Business School)

In August, 5 complimentary assessments (valued at $1500) are being offered as a great way to have a diagnostic check-up of your performance management process.

9 Sources of Inspiration for Highly Successful People

As part of an ongoing series titled “What Inspires Me,” LinkedIn Influencers Richard Branson, Naomi Simson, and other top influencers talk about what keeps them working, from a harsh rejection they received at the beginning of their career to the hard-working people they see every day in the office.

Cards on the Table

HR is frequently asked to fix performance issues by providing training, when systemic, deeper issues are at play. Instead of sweeping poor performance ‘under the carpet’, it’s being confronted more readily than in the past.

There’s no question that managing poor performance is a tricky area, yet it need not be ‘the event’ loathed by both employee and manager.

It must be remembered that, on the whole, most people don’t show up to work to purposely do a bad job. It’s therefore critical for managers to uncover the root cause of poor performance and determine whether an employee can be turned around. HRM Asia

Top Tips for NFP Employee Engagement and Retention

The Maxxia Workplace Insights: 2013 Not-for-Profit Sentiment Study, involving more than 1850 leaders and employees from the NFP sector, found people who work in the non-profit sector are generally happier and more satisfied than workers from other sectors, however around 50% of managers have considered leaving their organisation for career development and better pay.

Speaking from the Report’s launch, Australian Council of Social Service CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said, “This confirms we need to work harder to ensure we can attract and retain the right mix of skilled and qualified staff. This is critical for the long-term sustainability of our vital sector, as well as its effectiveness.”

“The wider Not-For-Profit sector employs nearly one million people, or around 8 per cent of Australia’s total workforce, and the most recent figures indicate it contributes 5% of Gross Domestic Product.”

“It’s pleasing to know that most people who work in the sector derive a great deal of satisfaction from being part of organisations that help others. This is extremely rewarding and a key driver in attracting staff.” Read More

About the Author

To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’ brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!! and the HR Communique. Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

Your brand is only as safe as your least engaged employee. Engage your employees and align them with your corporate vision and values, as they are the face that represents your business at all levels, interacting with all stakeholders. Employee engagement is also an effective source for competitive advantage. Not only are employees an asset that is dynamic, flexible and resilient, but they are also difficult for your competitors to replicate, a source of value and uniqueness (The Right Group: October 2011).

Virgin Blue distinguishes itself apart from its competitors through its cheeky jargons and more importantly its corporate value set being value for money, quality, fun, competitive challenge and innovation. Virgin Blue employees embody these five values and convey a message to consumers that distinguishes them from employees of Qantas or Tiger Airways.

In the article Virgin Australia: Employee Engagement Critical, Virgin Airlines Chief Operating Officer Sean Donohue states that “the most valuable aspect, in terms of engagement with our employees, is what I would call alignment… what I mean by that is every single member of staff is excited about our strategy and are absolutely clear about what we’re doing and where we are going as a company”.

So what can you learn from the Virgin Australia experience? Can you apply the same concepts back in your organisation? It is a challenge that requires great commitment and inspiration to achieve such greatness.

Graphics: Virgin Australia

About the Author. To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’ brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!! and the HR Communique. Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

The Event

I was privileged to attend the Brisbane Institute Forum on 17 July, where Rhonda White founder of the Terry White Chemist Group spoke about the concepts surrounding the current notion that “Outstanding Productivity Needs Better Leadership”.

Who is Rhonda White?

Rhonda is a co-founder of the Terry White Chemists Group and has been integral to the success of the brand. Her visionary skills in developing the systems and disciplines for the Brand, commitment to the development of Professional Services combined with exceptional business skills have proven a critical ingredient in growing the franchise network to its current position of 168 pharmacies in all states, employing over 4500 staff with a turnover of $1 billion.

She currently serves as a board member of TWC Group Investment Limited. A Trustee of the Queensland Performing Arts Trust (QPAT), Rhonda has been a director of a number of government and private companies.

In September 2011, Rhonda was inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in recognition of exceptional entrepreneurship and innovation in national retailing, and significant contributions to the community.

Memorable Comments

I was so absorbed in Rhonda’s presentation I wanted to share a few of the priceless statements and advice that I found memorable –

“Productivity is the final ultimate measure of a business and the ultimate measure of a leader in business.”

“Productivity is the realm of management. Every other level is about efficiency before you think about productivity”.

“Look for opportunities to build culture as well as teach systems and management.”

“Build culture and hype, not just the hype.”

“Be a counterintuitive, creative leader and be prepared for competition.”

“People are your most important asset, empower them to deliver your business results.”

“Empowerment + collaboration = business stability.”

“There are different challenges at different stages of a business, nothing stays the same.”

“Systems need to be continuing reviewed/changed to ensure they support the business and the environment they operate in.”

“High performance teams need trust and confidence to do their job.”

“Managers should never underestimate the impact of their decisions and the interrelationships with the business.”

“Bonuses do not work to engage individuals and teams. It is about being involved in projects and sharing the rewards as a team.”

“Employees have responsibility to add value to the life of the company and vice versa.”

“Reinvent business and teams to find productivity.”

“Spend time and effort in identifying leadership DNA in your business. Not all managers will become leaders.”

Summary

Great comments, insights and reflections from the breakfast. 3 main themes became evident – what does leadership and productivity look like; how do leaders contribute to improvements in business productivity; and the role of incentives in develop a leadership culture to drive changing business work practices.

Graphics: Brisbane Institute

About the Author. To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!!and The HR Architect Connect. Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

Saturday Shoutout!!! The New Business of Onboarding

Issue 4 | Number 9 | 30 June 2013

It was winter and the rain was blowing in from the southwest as the Hospital CEO pulled into the parking lot. He was still reflecting on the conversation he had with the Director People and Culture, the afternoon before. They had a number of HR challenges since the creation of the Hospital Board with no real immediate solutions.

Over coffee that morning, the new Hospital CEO read a newspaper article that talked about “Onboarding” in a similar health organisation and how they had great success. He immediately arranged a meeting with his Director People and Culture for the following day. At that meeting the Hospital CEO shared his thoughts to review the current hospital orientation program and make it more aligned to the “Onboarding” project which he read about in the newspaper.

The Hospital CEO felt confident that the “Onboarding” project would be a winner and it now rested solely on the shoulders of the Director People and Culture to make it happen. The Director People and Culture was not a champion of the new initiative as he thought it was just another one of those quick fix solutions. The Director People and Culture had just recruited an Organisational Development Manager and decided to hand over this challenge to this position as he was more involved with union negotiations.

During his conversations with Hospital Executive Managers, the Organisational Development Manager too often heard stories about past human resource initiatives, just like this one, that just failed. The seasoned Organisational Development Manager developed a strategy + project plan that included the foundations for future success – Hospital CEO/Hospital Board/Executive Manager support, defined outcomes + ROI, embedded human resource indicators, training, culture and union involvement.

One month later, the Organisational Development Manager was called to a meeting with the Hospital CEO to discuss progress on the “Onboarding” project. At this meeting, the Organisational Development Manager presented a short simple presentation that illustrated the realignment benefits and to be seen as an employer of choice. His presentation included two main points – (1) getting new hires up to speed in half the time and (2) sharing responsibility between human resources, line mangers, coaches and mentors.

It is now six months later in Melbourne at the gala AHRI HR Awards. The Hospital CEO was reflecting upon his meeting with the Director People and Culture about his desires for the “Onboarding” project. The Hospital had been nominated and was shortlisted for one of the prestigious award categories. He realised that it was a journey for all parties concerned. It had challenged both the culture and set the foundation for future successful projects. It was a journey that required careful planning, implementation and evaluation and ultimately human resources across the hospital in engaging stakeholders.

Begin your “Onboarding” journey now – “can you afford not to?”

Photo Credit:Unknown

If you find these updates useful, feel free to forward on to a work colleague or friend.

About the Author

To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!!and The HR Architect Spends 5 Minutes with ….Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

Saturday Shoutout!!! The Moment of Truth

Issue 4 | Number 8 | 1 June 2013

It is now June 2013 and back in July 2012 I was making serious career decisions.

With the imminent rationalisation of another 20,000+ public servants, I had 2 options. Option 1 was to stay for another 8 years until retirement and see my career further decay and be not valued for the expertise I had. Option 2, if offered, accept the retrenchment package as an amazing opportunity, find another job in HR and pursue my future ambition to establish my brand as The HR Architect. I decided on Option 2!!

To achieve my future success, I have transitioned out of a 4 month job search which did my ‘head in’, self esteem and self confidence. I have started my own HR consultancy business with the support a great business coach Joe Tigani from Absolute Leadership. I wish to be one of those successful people within the Queensland HR arena and I am taking a ‘No Excuses Approach’.

2. Feel the Fear – But Do It Anyway

All entrepreneurs from my reading, experience fear at some time. What separates those who are successful and those who allow fear to hold them back is the willingness to act in spite of the fear. The best way I have found to get over the fear is to walk directly into it. It takes courage but you know what? Walking into fear is never as bad as you think it’s going to be. I have found it liberating. It is taking a while longer than expected but I am still progressing.

3. Be Willing to Stretch Beyond Your Comfort Zone

Most people avoid discomfort like the plague. If you want to get to the next level of your career/business, you’ve got to be comfortable being uncomfortable – just for a short time. Yes, it was a little scary at first but let’s face it, it’s not going to kill you. I am willing to trade short term discomfort for long-term success and to have a go. You just have to convince others around you that you can do it. I am willing to stretch beyond my comfort zone. I’ve got great news – I am in a better mindset and opportunities are showing up.

4. Take Decisive Action

I have taken this action. Action is an issue of personal responsibility. I acknowledge that I am solely responsible for the choices in my life and I accept that I cannot blame others in 5-10 years time. Time and time again our inner self-doubt makes us question everything and keeps us from taking action when the solution shows up. I am not into self-sabotage. I have had great support from peers like Sonia McDonald, Louise Perram-Fisk and Mark Harris

Once I made the decision to succeed, it was time to commit to doing whatever it takes to make it happen. For me, it came down to taking bold and decisive action toward what I want in my business or your life. It’s about saying YES to what’s possible is for me. Saying YES to these future opportunities are divinely presented to me following those actions. I promise you that.

In 12 Months Time

When I look back in June 2104 at what I have achieved, I have glad I took this course of action. My business, my life, my income (still growing) will have never been the same. I promise you that. Take the challenge!!

Photo Credit: Innovation_blog_actv

If you find these updates useful, feel free to forward on to a work colleague or friend.

About the Author

To fulfil his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’ brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!! and The HR Architect Spends 5 Minutes with ….Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.

Saturday Shoutout!!! In Pictures – Employee Engagement

Issue 4 | Number 6 | 18 May 2013

Pictorial slideshow bringing together employee engagement posts over the last 12 months.

Graphics: Acknowledged in individual posts

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

About the Author. To fulfill his professional and personal career aspirations, Tony Wiggins created ‘The HR Architect’brand in 2009. With a well-grounded focus and passion for HR, he thrives on working across his networks as a thought leader in ‘making a difference’ in the HR arena.

Tony Wiggins is the Founder and UX Editor of Saturday Shoutout!!! and The HR Architect Spends 5 Minutes with ….Tony utilises the blog ‘The HR Architect’ as a social media network and platform that empowers HR professionals to network, assist and support one another, spanning different countries, subcultures and niches.